What’s up, Doc?

Our staff tends to think giving cars names feels hokey, but we made an exception for our new 2022 Rivian R1T Launch Edition long-term test truck. Last summer, during our Trans-America Trail transcontinental off-road EV adventure, we learned Rivian named all its prototypes after U.S. National Parks, and something about that made it not lame, so we borrowed the idea.

After throwing around a few ideas, we decided to personalize it by choosing a California State Park. Ultimately, we went with the closest one to MotorTrend HQ: Dockweiler State Beach. Isidore B. Dockweiler was a prominent Los Angeles lawyer, politician, and both president and director of the L.A. Public Library, not to mention a member of the state board of beaches and parks.

Doc’s a special case for other reasons, too. Rivian wanted us to test the truck that won our Truck of the Year award, so the company built us a Launch Edition truck even though Launch Editions sold out a long time ago. It’s a bit of a mix and match, though. We got the discontinued Launch Green paint color but also the newer 20-inch All-Terrain Dark wheels. Call it a future collectible.

Being an R1T Launch Edition also means a number of features are included as part of the package, which came out before Rivian raised pricing earlier this year. That means the quad-motor powertrain, large battery pack, power tonneau cover, and upgraded wheels are all standard on our truck instead of optional like they would be if you ordered one today, a savings of $18,500.

To our Launch Edition starting price of $73,000, we added the $2,000 Off-Road Upgrade (now called the Reinforced Underbody Shield) and the $800 full-size spare (now $1,000). All in, our truck rings up at $76,875. The Black Mountain interior color was and remains free of charge.

Were you to order one today, it would cost you $96,250, and you’d have to get it in Forest Green (your closest choice and a $1,750 option) instead of Launch Green.

Part of the reason the R1T won Truck of the Year was its value proposition compared to other trucks with similar capabilities, and although it’s lost none of its capability or build quality, it’ll be interesting to see if and how our perception of its value changes now that the price has gone up 20 percent and the Ford F-150 Lightning has entered the chat.

Of course, anyone who’s played with the Rivian configurator for five minutes knows how easy it is to really get the price up. The novel camp kitchen that slides out of the Gear Tunnel and comes with a complete set of Snow Peak pots and pans is a game changer for the backcountry chef, but it’s also $6,750.

Likewise, the Rivian-spec Yakima bedtop tent is spacious and comfortable but costs $3,100 (that that includes the otherwise optional cargo crossbars). Having experienced both but feeling frugal as the price tag circles the six-figure mark, we’ll see if Rivian will lend us those bits of kit for testing. At least the Bluetooth camp speaker/lantern in the center console and the flashlight in the door come standard.

Not that we’re letting the lack of high-dollar toys put us off doing fun stuff. With no break-in period needed, Doc has already been on a family road trip out of state, a ski weekend, and a backcountry camping trip with many more planned—and it’s only been a few weeks. Everyone on staff wants to drive this truck, and they all want it for big, epic trips.

Somewhere in between all the adventures, we’ll also find time to test not only its performance but also its real-world range and charging speeds, and you can bet we’ll compare it to any and every new pickup we can get our hands on.